Disclosure: Integration Module Download Manager and Advanced Download Manager, mentioned below, are made by the team behind App How To Use It. Neither is affiliated with Tonec Inc., the maker of Internet Download Manager.
Internet Download Manager (IDM) is a paid download manager for Windows. To take over downloads from Chrome it needs a browser add-on, usually called the IDM extension. There are two ways to get one: the official IDM Integration Module that comes with IDM itself, or a separate integration module installed from the Chrome Web Store. This guide covers both, and what to check when IDM stops catching your downloads.
What you need
- A Windows PC with Internet Download Manager installed from the official IDM website. IDM offers a free trial, after which it needs a license.
- Google Chrome or another Chromium browser such as Edge or Brave.
- Administrator rights on the PC, because the browser connection is registered in Windows.
Option 1: the official IDM Integration Module
Tonec publishes the IDM Integration Module on the Chrome Web Store, where it has about 20 million users. It is designed to work together with the IDM desktop app:
- Install or update IDM on your PC.
- Add the IDM Integration Module from the Chrome Web Store.
- In IDM, open Downloads > Options > General and make sure browser integration is switched on and Chrome is ticked.
- Restart Chrome completely and start a download to test it.
Option 2: Integration Module Download Manager
Integration Module Download Manager is an alternative extension that passes Chrome downloads to IDM. It has about 30,000 users on the Chrome Web Store. It also needs a small connection helper on Windows:
- Install the extension from the Chrome Web Store.
- Download the connection files from the official product page and extract the ZIP into a local folder.
- Right-click install.bat and choose Run as administrator.
- Wait for the script’s success message, then close and reopen the browser.
| IDM Integration Module | Integration Module Download Manager | |
|---|---|---|
| Made by | Tonec, the IDM developer | Our team |
| Setup | Works with the IDM installer | Extension plus a one-time helper script |
| Chrome Web Store users | About 20,000,000 | About 30,000 |
| Best for | Most IDM users | When the official module will not connect |
IDM extension not catching downloads? Try this
- Make sure IDM itself is running; the extension only hands downloads over to the desktop app.
- Close Chrome fully. It can keep running in the background after the last window closes, so check the system tray.
- Keep only one IDM extension switched on under chrome://extensions, so they do not compete.
- Update IDM to the latest version, since browser updates sometimes need a matching IDM update.
- If you use the alternative module, run install.bat as administrator once more.
Is there a free alternative to IDM?
Yes. Our own Advanced Download Manager is a free download manager for Windows with browser integration for Chrome, Edge and Firefox. For torrents, see our guide to uTorrent for Chrome, and for browser add-ons in general, how to install Chrome extensions safely.
Frequently asked questions
Is Internet Download Manager free?
No. IDM has a free trial, after which you need to buy a license from the official website.
Is the IDM extension safe?
Install IDM only from internetdownloadmanager.com and extensions only from the official browser stores. Avoid “cracked” IDM downloads, which are a common way to spread malware.
Does it work in Microsoft Edge?
Yes. Edge can install extensions from the Chrome Web Store, and IDM supports Edge in its browser integration settings.
For most people the official IDM extension is the simplest route. If it will not connect, the integration module alternative and the checklist above usually get downloads flowing to IDM again. If IDM still ignores your downloads after all of that, our guide to IDM not capturing downloads in Chrome works through the remaining causes one at a time.